“Let me tell you about the very rich," wrote author F. Scott Fitzgerald. "They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them."

To understand that is to drive a 2025 Rolls-Royce. To appreciate cars that cost as much as a nice home in most of America is to understand a true luxury product. Staggeringly expensive, obsessively engineered and extravagantly trimmed, a Rolls-Royce is an actual luxury item: rare, special and exquisite.

Of course, the word luxury is thrown around with impunity by real estate developers, clothing manufacturers and travel agents, among many others. And it works, as most people have no concept of real luxury. It’s even true of other car companies, some of which were once luxury automakers yet no longer are.

The 2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II is a luxury vehicle in the classic sense of the word: an impressive, imposing, exquisitely crafted reward for the 1%. To experience it is transformative. And while the Cullinan is now known as the Series II, most casual observers won’t know the difference. But there are changes, as everyone needs a little nip and tuck now and then.

And so it goes with the Cullinan Series II, which receives revised front lighting and, for the first time, an illuminated grille. There are restrained surface detail changes and larger 23-inch wheels milled from a billet of aluminum. Inside, Both the instrument cluster and infotainment display have been redesigned with a new operating system integrating Whispers, a Rolls-Royce private members app. The rear seat infotainment now pairs with Bluetooth headphones, and two devices can stream to the Cullinan's rear screens. Finally, the instrument panel's clock has been reworked, incorporating a small Spirit of Ecstasy figurine below it.

What hasn’t changed is the Cullinan’s heart: a twin-turbocharged 6.7-liter V-12 producing 563 horsepower on most trims, and 592 horsepower in Black Badge trim through an eight-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels. It’s more than capable of easily hustling this three-ton luxury SUV wherever you may need it to go. It’s whisper quiet and glides with an unearthly comfort thanks to an air suspension aided by a road-scanning camera that adjusts for whatever awaits on the road ahead. There’s no other vehicle that comes close to the Cullinan’s effortlessness and polish – except for other Rolls-Royces, particularly the Rolls-Royce Spectre EV.

It’s a vehicle that ushered in the weekend with indulgent style. It’s also a vehicle that’s increasingly rare: a grand touring coupe. The Spectre is a decorous middle finger to such idiocy, a true statement of opulence with a battery-electric driveline that delivers the speed and ‘waftability’ with an epic silence Rolls-Royce has sought for more than a century. The comfort, ease of handling and surprising agility is beyond anything else you’ve experienced.

And the Spectre is as imposing in its own regard as the Cullinan Series II. Looking like a larger descendant of the Rolls-Royce Wraith, it measures a sizable 215+ inches in length. Power comes from dual electric motors mated to a single-speed transmission that generates 584 horsepower, although Black Badge models offer up 650 horsepower. Range is anywhere from 329 miles on the former to 266 miles on the latter.

When you drive a Cullinan Series II, you'll notice people make way for for you after spotting the car in the rearview mirror. When you drive by, they smile and wave or give the thumps up. OK, there are “if looks could kill” stares of envy as well, but that’s to be expected – and ignored.

The Cullinan Series II may be engineered for tromping off-road, but aside from tromping around your country estate, why would you do that? It’s a magnificent beast, one that’s ideal for long-distance travel, as long you don’t mind filling the tank. But if you care about such things, you can’t afford one. That said, in South Florida, where I live, sightings of Cullinans are not exactly rare. The same can’t be said of the Spectre, and the reaction from valets was instantaneous and gracious, as there’s always a parking spot nearby.

It makes you smile every time you’re in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II or Spectre, for no car delivers what a Rolls-Royce brings in the manner that it does. American luxury cars once did, but bean counters and short-sighted executives killed that decades ago. What makes the Rolls-Royce so remarkable is its adherence to tradition while maintaining a cutting-edge modernity. It’s a tough feat to accomplish. But the result is a vehicle that makes its owner feel special every time he or she uses it. And that’s what a Rolls-Royce delivers: genuine luxury, something drivers ever truly experience.

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